Patchogue Village bans most single-use, nonrecyclable shopping bags

The Patchogue Village board of trustees approved a new law Monday night, June 8, 2015, to ban single-use plastic and nonrecyclable paper shopping bags at retail stores and businesses in the village but it won't go into effect until September 2016. Photo Credit: Carl Corry

Lori Belmonte, co-owner of The Colony Shop in the village, said, "Here's my problem. I just placed a three-year order on plastic bags. If I don't use them up by 2016 then I can't use them. Why not let us use up the bags we already have then make the switch?"

Last month, the board agreed to postpone its vote to allow written comments until June 1.

Under the new law, no single-use plastic bags would be allowed at village businesses other than small bags used for produce and plastic bags for prescription medicine, live animals such as fish and bait, and merchandise that would contaminate other food.

All paper bags must be made of at least 40 percent recyclable material.

"Personally, I have a hard time with the ban and it means we failed to make decisions," said trustee William Hilton, who voted against the law. "I also feel we shouldn't ban anything without an alternative."

The Food Industry Alliance of New York State, which advocates for supermarkets, also opposed the ban.

Attorney Jay M. Peltz, who attended Monday's meeting representing the alliance, said the ban violates New York State's 2008 Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act, along with state environmental law.

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, thanked the board for adopting the law.

"We look forward to working together as one team," said Esposito, who supported the ban.

Esposito is a village resident and was on Keyes' environmental committee, which reviewed the effect plastic shopping bags have on the community.

The village is expected to team with the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce to provide each household with at least one reusable bag and notify local businesses about the law, said David Kennedy, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber did not take a stance on the issue because of varying opinions among business owners within the organization.